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DM Feedback

I'd like to solicit feedback during the game both from players and onlookers regarding a number of things:

How the game is going. I'm a new DM and would prefer some feedback on how it's going. It's different when on the other side of the table. Am I making some classic DM mistakes? Am I doing ok? Was such and such encounter inappropriate? I plan to use the feedback to improve, and I'm fairly thick-skinned. so don't hold back.

Are the images/multimedia helpful/interesting or distracting? Other comments on the inclusion of those elements in the PBP game?

And of course, if you'd rather send me a PM rather than post here, by all means feel welcome to.

(Just to clarify, anyone please feel free to post here, not just players in the game.)

Since you wanted feedback throughout I would like to say that the video, music and the neat picture for the note were cool. It would be nice if you could find a way to make the music loop and if there was some way to watch the video without having to navigate to another page. This is not a comment on your abilities, I do not think the site will allow you to do anything but links to the videos. On another note, completely unrelated to the multimedia stuff, your descriptive skills are quite good. I like how you laid things out in your post. You gave it full texture instead of making the mistake that many do in the giving texture only to what is important and robbing the player of the chance to really think through and sometimes poke around the scene and find the important stuff. It is a little extra work, but has great value. To sum up you are doing well so far. Keep up the good job.

It would be nice if you could find a way to make the music loop and if there was some way to watch the video without having to navigate to another page. This is not a comment on your abilities, I do not think the site will allow you to do anything but links to the videos.

This was discussed recently in the suggestions area and I don't think Farcaster has any plans to implement such functionality anytime soon. Currently its a pretty big security risk.

(Apologies for the graphics for the maps. I haven't found a good editor for them yet...)

There are several quality map editors for you to choose from. Some are free and some you have to pay for. Are you looking to create something really graphical or just a basic blueprint of the dungeon? I'm sure I could help find you something that suits your tastes

I downloaded a bunch and tried them all out and they all seemed to have things about them that turned me off.

DungeonTileMapper - seems difficult to get custom art into. I'd like to be able to drag-and-drop an image right into the program and move it around. Otherwise, the look and feel of this program is fantastic.

Dundjinni - clunky interface. Couldn't get images to snap to the grid. Also not free.

RPMapTools - very slow.

Dungeon Crafter 3: Was ok.

If I do it again I may try to use dungeon tile mapper. I don't want to "draw" or "paint" anything -- I pretty much just want to drag tiles out where I want them. The problem is when I need tiles that don't exist by default. I don't want to be slowed down by having to create tiles or any of that.

Further, I'll admit that I don't have any ability to generate visual images, though I'm ok with doing some simple visual tricks on existing ones. (The mother cyst slide in the introduction video is a good example. Here's a link to the original picture: (BE WARNED, IT'S NOT PRETTY! http://www.library.vcu.edu/pdfgif/tm...rmoid-cyst.jpg ))

I doubt I'm going to be able to produce something really fantastic anyway. We'll see next go around. It might end up being better to leave the details to the imagination.

Ok. I thought it was time I commented on you again. I like how you play people out to be real people and not one dimensional characters. Even the sailors seemed like they could be real people. You have done a wonderful job of explaining things and insuring that if I did not understand something I understood it before we moved on. The same thing with rule disputes. While you could tell me, "Shut it. I am the DM." you instead hear me out and bother with the research. This is easier on play by post as a derision is not needed immediately, but still it is a good thing. Also, I like how you give me the chance to flesh things out instead of immediately doing it yourself and also seem willing to do it yourself if I did not want to. The only complaints I really have are trivial and not your fault. Once agian, you are doing well. Keep up the good work.

Everyone, with the exception of Semndon, seems to think his magics are disgusting and he could just be tolerating it politely while he hopes to steer Takuzei another way. The uses of negative energy, especially working with the undead, is inherently evil so it is understandable that many would look down upon it, but in D&D evil is just as valid a choice as good with about half the pantheon of any given religion fully supporting the choice. It will simply mean that when he travels he will either deal with the fall out of working with evil energies, hide the fact, or find people who agree with his point of view (evil communities) to spend his time with. Also, part of me expected to see more people in a scholarly community (like wizards) willing to discuss ideas and points of view as opposed to simply dismissing those of another person in their field as being unworthy of consideration. This is just a matter of him meeting two people who are not used to dealing with his point of view. It is quite possible that you fully intended to make the more scholarly wizards more willing to discuss ideas where as younger, less well studied ones were more dismissive of other views. This is purely a choice on your part and I would not wish to make you feel that you have to do things a certain way for my sake.

P.S. I understand that this is all caused by my character choices and that I bring these problems on myself. I am fine with that fact and in no way regret my choices. Even if it means I have to put up with everyone looking down on him.

Everyone, with the exception of Semndon, seems to think his magics are disgusting and he could just be tolerating it politely while he hopes to steer Takuzei another way.

If it makes you feel better, Semndon is not just being polite about it. I'm not planning on having him steer you another way, either. But I have what I think is some fun stuff in store for you.

The other two apprentice-candidates (Auril and Kuromath) are both life-bonded wizards from other, less cosmopolitan and less tolerating lands. They are also good-aligned characters. Magic for them is used to help people, protect people, and so forth. They're not going to just "be interested in" magic like Takuzei's.

Add to it, that slices of spells haven't been discovered yet. There are huge holes of knowledge/spells missing from the current state of arcane lore. Semndon is not able to animate dead, for instance. No one in the Panthic Order knows that spell because no one has discovered it yet. If that's a direction you want to go, then we certainly can. Remember: magic is still young.

Not to sound all spooky or reveal what's going on behind the "DM's screen" but there are other characters that you just haven't run into yet that would be more enthusiastic about your style of magic. There's also characters that you *have* run into that would be more enthusiastic about it, but it just didn't work out for one reason or another (such as the tiefling in the inn that you distracted Auril from).

Originally Posted by Fuzzy alchemist

The uses of negative energy, especially working with the undead, is inherently evil so it is understandable that many would look down upon it, but in D&D evil is just as valid a choice as good with about half the pantheon of any given religion fully supporting the choice.

Half the pantheon? Sure. Half the laymen population of Ebernath? Probably not. Half the population of wizards in Ebernath? Maybe. Half the population of Valhedar, probably.

If you want to be openly evil, Ebernath might not be the place for you. (Or maybe it is, after you conquer it, or corrupt the Panthic Order, mwahaha?) How that affects Takuzei's drives, desires, and ambitions is up to you.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy alchemist

It will simply mean that when he travels he will either deal with the fall out of working with evil energies, hide the fact, or find people who agree with his point of view (evil communities) to spend his time with.

But I assume this is expected and "realistic?"

Originally Posted by Fuzzy alchemist

Also, part of me expected to see more people in a scholarly community (like wizards) willing to discuss ideas and points of view as opposed to simply dismissing those of another person in their field as being unworthy of consideration.

We're on the same page. Auril and Kuromath are not really part of the scholarly community. Semndon noticed Kuromath's reaction to your magic, and Kuromath lost some points there. And not because Kuromath thought necromancy was "disgusting" per se, but more because he was closed-minded. Other than Semndon, you haven't spoken with any wizards higher than level 1.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy alchemist

This is just a matter of him meeting two people who are not used to dealing with his point of view. It is quite possible that you fully intended to make the more scholarly wizards more willing to discuss ideas where as younger, less well studied ones were more dismissive of other views. This is purely a choice on your part and I would not wish to make you feel that you have to do things a certain way for my sake.

I think we're also on the same page here. I intended to set it up this way. Not that all younger wizards are closed-minded, though... let's not generalize based on two apprentice-candidates. And not all the older, more established wizards are going to be fans of necromancy, either. But as a whole I'd say it's a reasonable generalization.

Originally Posted by Fuzzy alchemist

P.S. I understand that this is all caused by my character choices and that I bring these problems on myself. I am fine with that fact and in no way regret my choices. Even if it means I have to put up with everyone looking down on him.

I'm not penalizing you at all--I'm happy with Takuzei's character concept/choices. But I don't want to sacrifice realism. Takuzei and Auril probably would have gotten along better if Takuzei's magic was less insidious. Or, they probably would have gotten along better if Takuzei lied about what magic he was studying, as long as he wasn't found out. How far you go to maintain that ruse would have eventually become an issue, though. There's a million different directions everything could have played out.

I'm not criticizing the way you handled any situations by the way, just pointing out that in the "Player vs. the Universe" game, there are many different ways things could end up. Perhaps due to his reactions thusfar, Takuzei is learning to conceal his favorite subject until he knows he's dealing with someone of a similar mindset?

The reference about half the pantheon was more a point of somewhere in the universe there had to be people like him and eventually he could make friends among them if he sought them out. This is basically saying if he went to hell or a world struck by atropus he could definitely get along or even just proved worthy of respect in a tiefling community. Also, I am not sure what you were asking in reference to my comments about him dealing with the fallout of his decision. Do I think is is realistic or expected for him to simply take his lumps for it if he flaunts it. Absolutely, until he can properly combat those responsible. Do I think it is reasonable or expected for there to be evil communities somewhere? Yes, i do. Everywhere? Absolutely not. Do I think it is reasonable or expected for him to be able to hide the fact. Yes. He has the bluff skill and a fair amount of charisma. He can lie well and I think after the first few times when things go sour because of it he will learn to do it more often.